Summary: In which Eret finds there is more to wooing a dragon rider than previously anticipated.
There had been a lot of intensive labor done in the village that week. Stoick's statue was nearly completed with the help of Bucket's artistic endeavors and a great portion of ice had been melted down or chipped off to fall into the ocean. Everyone was exhausted and emotionally fatigued and yet the work seemed to have a healing effect on the people of Berk.
Yet as much as there was left to do, it was met with unspoken agreement that tonight was to be a celebration - a night of drink, song, reminiscing, story-telling and laughter.
The Great Hall was awash with firelight, torches lining the wall and the main firepit roaring. There were heaps of mutton, chicken, roasted boar, smoked eel, fresh braided bread, cheese and apples - enough for every plate (and more than enough mead for every horn.)
At one table, Ruffnut bit into an apple, licking the juice off her wrist in a way that made Snotlout and Fishlegs break into a cold sweat. Tuffnut rolled his eyes and took a bite out of a leg of mutton. He really didn't understand the fuss about his sister. Or any girl really.
To his own personal horror, Snotlout stood up on the bench and cleared his throat. Ruffnut beamed up at him, and Tuffnut wished he could crawl into the earth or turn invisible, knowing exactly what was coming. Indeed, the rest of the Great Hall's murmuring dwindled - everyone loved a Boasting Song. It was tradition; the first of many formal announcements of a man's attraction to a woman. They were endlessly entertaining, whether the woman flatly turned down the man singing his boasts or joined in.
Tuffnut had enjoyed them plenty before, especially when Ruff had turned Snotlout down, but now she watching him sing his Boasts as though he was the only person in the Great Hall and it was … weird. He glanced around the Hall, looking for Eret and wondering if the dragon-trapper had any protests to have lost the attentions of his twin. Much to his relief, Eret was sitting at a far table, looking far more interested in his food than in what was going on.
He completely missed whatever Snotlout sang; something about fighting a whole army of Beserkers and sinking an armada for her hand in marriage (points to him for knowing she loved carnage and destruction) but the table suddenly rattled with the speed in which Fishlegs stood up to sing his Boasts.
There were exclamations and scattered chuckles; a Boastful Song with two men vying for the same woman's hand was even more entertaining (since it usually ended in a fight).
Wanting nothing to do with it, Tuffnut dropped his mutton on a plate and took himself and it to the other side of the Hall. He ignored the stares it brought him; generally it was rather offensive to walk away from a table so abruptly. At the same time, staying that close to his sister while she was being courted (and actually enjoying it) was awkward as hell. Nobody stopped him to scold or shoo him back, so they must have at least somewhat understood his plight.
Tuffnut found another seat on the edge, next to Mulch. The man paid him no mind, busy explaining to Bucket what Fishlegs had just sung. It had involved a lot of technical terms and though Ruff looked confused, she was petting his arm and cooing that she liked the way he'd fight a 'Leviathan Class Ten' for her. Especially if he lost a lot of blood and limbs while doing it. Fishlegs was looking suddenly green now, much to the amusement of everyone else.
Tuff rolled his eyes, feeling suddenly miserable and left out. He didn't notice the former dragon-trapper's gaze on him, nor the slow way Eret got up, sidling toward his new table.
Sullenly he kept eating his meal, wishing everyone in the Great Hall would randomly burst into flames. (He was so depressed, he might actually help put some people out.) Bad enough nobody would ever sing like this for him, but he'd someday be expected to cultivate enough interest in some girl and go through all this for her. And then hope she liked it enough to at least consider not humiliating him. That was it. That was the only option he had, and it sucked.
For a moment, he tried to cheer himself up by imagining Eret singing instead. Even if it was for someone else; the timbre of his voice and what he'd sing would be far more pleasant than the cacophony his friends were making now.
"Mind if I join you?" his smooth voice drawled. Oooh, not bad. Wait …
"What?!" Tuffnut blurted, inhaling in surprise. He choked and started flailing. A strong fist pounded him on the back and he coughed out the meat on the floor. It disappeared in a flash of green scales and teeth.
"Easy. No need to kill yourself just to escape the racket. What is all that about, anyway? I don't half understand - one minute she is climbing all over me, the next I'm barely noticeable."
"Dude," Tuffnut snapped, his weird happiness at Eret's presence suddenly diminishing. "You are not seriously asking me for advice on how to court my sister?"
"GODS, no!" Eret exclaimed, looking disturbed. "I was wondering how I yet again escaped by the skin of my teeth, and whether I needed to worry still."
"Huh? Oh. Nah, you're safe. She's decided on either of them. Or both. I don't care, whatever. You're off the hook, trust me."
"Ah, good. Very good." Eret was fidgeting. He picked up a fork, put it down, then rolled it between his fingers. "So, when are you going to sing?"
Tuffnut almost choked on his food again. "Wha –? Uuggghhh! She's my sister!"
"No, no, no! You misunderstand - I meant for your girl? Surely a lad as handsome as you has a girl?"
"Hah! Nope, not interested, with a capital 'I'. Or do I mean 'N'? Both," he decided.
Eret was at a loss for words. After a long moment, staring at Tuffnut, he cleared his throat. "If I may ask … that is, if you are not interested in girls … ?"
"Yeah, I'm not. I don't care what my parents or anyone else says; if I go to even half the trouble Snot and Legs are going, it's not gonna be over a female."
Tuff had little time to wonder why Eret was staring so intently; a wave of cheers and applause suffocated all possible means of conversation. The Boasting Song had predictably ended with Fishlegs tackling Snotlout off the bench. Ruff was cheering loudly, egging both of them on as they rolled under tables, Terrors shrieking and scampering out of the way.
He watched them for a while, feeling unexpectedly warm and restless. Maybe it was the fighting; he suddenly wanted to fight, to tackle someone to the ground and trade blows. Wired, Tuffnut felt a hand on his arm and very nearly took a swing at the owner. Eret's eyes looked weird in the firelight; and there was an odd tone to his voice. "Outside," he muttered. "I wish to talk and it's too loud in here."
Tuffnut almost leaped from the bench to follow him, needing some air and space himself from the revelry. Once they were out under the stars, Eret turned abruptly to face him.
"Would you be object terribly if a man was interested in you?" he asked bluntly. Tuffnut stared, then backed up as Eret moved in, with a charming smile. "Even a man as handsome as myself?"
His vanity was as appealing as Snotlout's wasn't. Tuffnut was completely blindsided; of all the reasons Eret had wanted to go outside, this had not registered as a possibility.
Yes, he was supposed to say. Yes, he would 'object terribly', involving his fist through the other man's teeth. Because that's what any man was expected to say to such a question. However, Tuffnut couldn't bring himself to say it, nor could he raise a fist.
Eret moved in closer and Tuffnut could see every bead of sweat clustered at his brow, could smell his hair. He smelled sharp, like the ocean. Like the salted fish he'd once used to bait dragon traps with. Realization flooded him then; why it had driven him crazy to watch Ruffnut fawn and flirt with Eret. Why he'd been so relieved when Eret had rejected and ignored everything she threw at him.
Nevertheless, before Eret's mouth could so much as brush his own, Tuffnut regained enough control to put up his hands between them. "Not so fast."
Looking disappointed, Eret pulled back. "Listen, I've had my eyes on you for longer than you think," he almost pleaded. "Why do you think I undid your bonds first on Drago's ship?"
"Yeah, that's nice," Tuff said, though his heart did a little skip and jump at that knowledge. "But
even if I was interested, and I'm not saying I'm not, no self-respecting Viking would just kiss someone who's never so much as whistled a tune at them."
"You're not serious."
"Deadly serious. This face? More serious-er than any serious face I've made. If you're serious, then you'll court me like the Hooligan I am."
"O-kay …" Eret muttered awkwardly.
He wasn't going to. Tuff knew with a certainty that nobody as proud as Eret would ever sink so low; he could have any pick of girls (or boys) on Berk without having to resort to such a thing. Part of him wanted to take it back, but there was more stubbornness in him than a Loki tree had bark beetles so he firmly shut his mouth and turned away.
A cheer erupted from the Great Hall, still audible outside. Warmth poured out from the crack between the doors, a sharp contrast to the chilled air they were standing in. Tuff shivered in the silence.
"Ah," Eret said, softly, as though understanding something. Tuffnut figured it meant he was going to give up and walk away now. Most sensible people would. He almost did himself, but then a sound stopped him cold.
The man's voice was just as amazing as he'd imagined it would be. Tuffnut licked suddenly dry lips, trying to focus on the words. He wanted to remember them, even as Eret stumbled over them endearingly.
The trapper wasn't familiar with half of Berk's customs, yet he was willing to do a decent try at this one. Boasting Songs weren't easy, you had to sing from the heart what came to mind, and fast. Eret was already running out of words and Tuffnut didn't have to wait too long to cut in.
When they both came up for air, Tuff couldn't help but tease him just a little.
"You realize if you meant all that, Ruffnut's gonna be your future sister-in-law?"
Eret groaned, but didn't let him go.